Beauty everywhere: Take a look at the winners of the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards
The 2025 World Photography Awards has revealed the category winners and finalists for its Open competition.
ADVERTISEMENT
A frenzied crowd breathing like one body over a basketball game in the United States. A meticulous and quite claustrophobic view of a street vendor selling electronic parts in Japan's Akihabara Electric Town. An Icelandic sea of burning red lava that could well be what John Milton imagined when he described Pandæmonium.
These are just a few of the stunning images captured by the category winners and finalists of the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards Open competition.
The competition, now in its 18th year, is open to all members of the public and 'celebrates the ability of an individual photograph to capture and distil a singular moment, and to evoke a broader narrative.' Categories include 'Landscape' and 'Travel' but also 'Portraiture' and 'Motion', ensuring a wide variety of submissions, from personal stories to spectacular visual creations.
The overall Open Photographer of the Year will be revealed on 16 April 2025 and will receive a $5,000 prize. Category winners will go on display from 17 April to 5 May 2025 as part of an exhibition at Somerset House in London.
For now, let's take a look at some of the most striking images of this year's category winners and finalists.
Centre of the Cosmos by Xuecheng Liu
Xuecheng Liu, China Mainland, Architecture, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Vida Khani
Vida Khani, Islamic Republic of Iran, Creative, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Celebrating Football Club Victories
Khairizal Maris, Indonesia, Street photography, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Octotpuses in the Sky
Sussi Charlotte Alminde, Denmark, Object, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Encounter
Yeintze Boutamba, Gabon, Portraiture, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
The Whale Raft
Estebane Rezkallah, France, Natural World & Wildlife, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Victor de Valles Ibáñez
Victor de Valles Ibáñez, Spain, Landscape, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Vilhelm Gunnarsson
Vilhelm Gunnarsson, Iceland, Landscape, Shortlist, Open Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Ask a Shaman
Matjaž Šimic, Slovenia, Travel, Winner, Open Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Gianni Maitan
Gianni Maitan, Italy, Natural World & Wildlife, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Ieva Gaile
Ieva Gaile, Lithuania, Object, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Kunal Gupta
Kunal Gupta, India, Travel, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Tbourida La Chute
Olivier Unia, France, Motion, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Elena Subach
Elena Subach, Ukraine, Portraiture, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Hajime Hirano
Hajime Hirano, Japan, Lifestyle, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Pati John
Pati John, Netherlands, Architecture, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Yusof Salimi Namin
Yusof Salimi Namin, Islamic Republic of Iran, Street Photography, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Alex Halloway
Alex Halloway, United States, Motion, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
Kem the Unstoppable
Jonell Francisco, Philippines, Creative, Winner, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
By Kathryn Mussallem
Kathryn Mussallem, Canada, Lifestyle, Shortlist, Open competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025
The 2025 Sony World Photography Awards attracted 419,000 submissions over more than 200 countries and territories.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
24-05-2025
- France 24
Cannes closes with Iranian, Ukrainian films tipped for glory
After almost a fortnight of glamorous red carpets and some politics, French actor Juliette Binoche and her jury will announce the winner from the 22 films vying for one of the world's most prestigious cinema awards. The best-reviewed contenders include Iranian director Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" and Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa's study of despotism in "Two Prosecutors". On the last day of screenings, Britain's The Guardian newspaper gave a rare five-star review to "Young Mothers", a sensitive portrait of teen mothers by Belgium's two-time Palme d'Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. A German film starring women from four generations called "Sound of Falling", and a 1970s-set Brazilian film titled "The Secret Agent" have also wowed critics. Many festival goers fell for the feel-good drama of Richard Linklater's "Nouvelle Vague" about French director Jean-Luc Godard. Beyond the competition, the French Riviera has been buzzing with A-listers but also politics. US filmmaker Todd Haynes warned of the "barbaric US presidency", while Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal admitted it was "scary" to speak out against President Donald Trump. The Gaza war has been on the minds of some of the festival's guests, with more than 900 actors and filmmakers signing an open letter denouncing "genocide" in the Palestinian territory, according to organisers. Binoche, "Schindler's List" star Ralph Fiennes, US indie director Jim Jarmusch and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange -- in town to present a documentary he stars in -- are among the signatories. Awards Awards have already started to be announced. The first Chechen film to screen at the Cannes Festival won best documentary, while the film about the life of Assange -- "The Six Billion Dollar Man" -- picked up a special jury prize on Friday. In the secondary Un Certain Regard section, Chilean filmmaker Diego Cespedes won the top prize for "The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo", which follows a group of trans women living in a desert mining town in the 1980s. French actor-turned-director Hafsia Herzi won the unofficial Queer Palm for "The Last One", a coming-of-age tale about a teenage lesbian Muslim living in Paris. "I wanted to show that there were no borders in friendship, in love," Herzi said. Earlier in the week, "Useful Ghost", an off-the-wall Thai LGBTQ ghost story packing a daring political punch, was awarded top prize in the Critics' Week sidebar section. "We need more diverse queer stories to be told," director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke said. On a lighter note, a sheepdog which features in Icelandic family drama "The Love That Remains" won the Palm Dog prize for canine performers in festival's films, organisers announced. Icelandic director Hlynur Palmason cast his own pet, Panda, in his poignant story about a couple navigating a separation and the impact on their family.
France 24
23-05-2025
- France 24
Fur-st prize for Icelandic sheepdog at Cannes canine competition
The "Palm Dog" -- a play on the Palme d'Or which will be awarded to the best film on Saturday -- is a light-hearted celebration of mutts in front of the camera, which is now in its 25th year. Icelandic director Hlynur Palmason cast his own pet, Panda, in "The Love That Remains", his poignant story about a couple navigating a separation and the impact on their family. "This film that has won is about a family and it's so beautiful and so authentic to the vibe of a family," Palm Dog jury member Wendy Mitchell, author of the book "Citizen Canine", told reporters. Mitchell praised "a wonderful naturalistic performance from this dog", addressing a crowd of influencers, pet lovers and journalists at a beach-front venue in Cannes. The decision was greeted with cheers and barking, while Palmason sent a video of Panda looking bemused on the front seat of his car as the win was announced. The second Grand Jury prize went jointly to two pooches who appear in rave-themed road trip movie "Sirat", including one that eats an LSD-laced poo. Past Palm Dog winners have included Brandy from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". That award was picked up by director Quentin Tarantino. Tilda Swinton accepted the prize in 2021 on behalf of her real-life dogs for their roles in "The Souvenir".
LeMonde
18-05-2025
- LeMonde
Austria's JJ triumphs at Eurovision with operatic powerhouse 'Wasted Love'
Classically trained countertenor JJ of Austria won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest Saturday, May 17, with the operatic song "Wasted Love." Israel's Yuval Raphael came second at a competition overshadowed by the Gaza war. The world's largest live music event reached its glitter-drenched conclusion with a grand final in Basel, Switzerland that offered pounding electropop, quirky rock and outrageous divas, at a celebration of music and unity ruffled by discord over Israel's participation. JJ beat 25 other competitors during Saturday's grand final. Estonia's Tommy Cash came third with "Espresso Macchiato," and Swedish entry KAJ, who had been favorite to win with jaunty sauna ode "Bara Bada Bastu," came fourth. Eclectic and sometimes baffling Acts from 26 countries – trimmed from 37 entrants through two elimination semifinals – performed to some 160 million viewers for the continent's pop crown. No smoke machine, jet of flame or dizzying light display was spared by musicians who had three minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner. The show offered a celebration of Europe's eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes. Lithuanian band Katarsis delivered grunge rock, while Ukraine's Ziferblat channeled prog rock and the UK's Remember Monday offered country pop. Italy's Lucio Corsi evoked 1970s glam rock, while Icelandic duo VAEB rapped about rowing and Latvia's six-woman Tautumeitas offered gorgeous, intertwined harmonies. There were divas aplenty, including Spain's Melody, Poland's Justyna Steczkowska, participating in Eurovision for a second time after a 30-year gap, with "GAJA," and Malta's outrageous Miriana Conte, who performed "Serving" – a song whose previous suggestive title and lyrics were changed on the orders of contest organizers – on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips. Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision, said the competition has become more diverse over the years, both musically and linguistically. There are songs in 20 languages this year, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Albanian, Latvian and Maltese. "In the past it was about having a catchy, innocuous pop song, usually in English," he said. But "in recent years the formulaic approach to a Eurovision entry hasn't succeeded. "An entry needs to be memorable and it needs to be authentic in order to succeed these days." 'Boycott Israel' This year's contest was roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel's participation. Dozens of former participants, including Switzerland's Nemo, have called for Israel to be excluded, and several of the broadcasters that fund Eurovision sought a review of the country's participation. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests both took place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year's event in Sweden, where tensions spilled over backstage and Dutch competitor Joost Klein was expelled over an alleged altercation with a crew member. Hundreds of people marched through Basel just before the competition, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Boycott Israel." Earlier, a group of Israel supporters gathered in Basel's cathedral square to root for Raphael and to show that "Jews belong in public spaces in Switzerland," Zurich resident Rebecca Laes-Kushner said. She said that "it would be such a strong statement against antisemitism," if Raphael won. "This is supposed to be about music, not about hate," she said. The European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, which runs Eurovision, tightened the contest's code of conduct this year, calling on participants to respect Eurovision's values of "universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity" and its political neutrality. After a controversial ban in 2024 on flags, apart from national ones, being waved in the arena, this year audience members can bring Palestinian flags or any others, as long as they are legal under Swiss law. Performers, though, can only wave their own country's flag. Eurovision director Martin Green told reporters that the organizers' goal was to "re-establish a sense of unity, calm and togetherness this year in a difficult world." "All 37 delegations, in difficult times, have behaved impeccably," he said.
